Elevator Rides With The Devil
by Dreamerz Angel
Summary: Hikari Yagami's life is perfect. But when she meets a certain blue-eyed boy in the elevator, she begins to question herself and her life choices. Better summary inside Takari! R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Hikari Yagami's life is perfect: she has a great career, she found the perfect apartment and to top it all off, she's getting married! But when she meets a certain blue-eyed boy in the elevator, she begins to question (and have doubts about) not only herself but her lifestyle as well.

* * *

**Elevator Rides With The Devil**

**Chapter One**

"My life, as of this moment, is perfect," Hikari Yagami proclaimed, holding a glass of champagne and handed another one to the lavender-haired woman sitting across from her. "Absolutely, positively, without a single doubt, perfect." Her soft pink lips curved into a bright smile as her chocolate brown eyes shined with a brilliance that not many possessed.

Miyako Ichijoji let out a soft laugh as she took the glass from her friend. "That's not a phrase you hear often," she said, clinking their glasses together. "Congrats Kari! I'm so happy for you!" They downed the light alcoholic beverage in one gulp before putting their glasses in the sink and heading toward the spacious living room.

"God it was just so… romantic," Kari sighed softly as she remembered the events of last night when her boyfriend of three years, Daisuke Motomiya, proposed. "I wasn't even expecting it. One second we were talking about his plans to open another restaurant of his own and then the next thing I know, he's down on one knee, holding out this beautiful red rose, asking me to marry him." Grinning, Kari hugged the red pillow as she relayed the information. "I was a little confused at first, you know, why he was holding out the rose instead of a velvet box, but then he brings it up to my face and right in the middle is this beautiful diamond ring." She held out her hand where said diamond ring was residing on her fourth finger.

Miyako let out a long 'awwww!' as her crimson eyes examined the ring. The band was made from white gold which held the circular cut diamond right in the middle. "Do you know how many carats that is?"

"He told me it was four."

"It's stunning." The two women embraced in a tight hug. "So, planning the wedding yet?"

"Not yet," Kari admitted as she tied her light brown hair into a ponytail. "I want both of us to be involved in everything, you know?"

"Of course," Miyako replied. "I was the same way with Ken."

"And look how wonderful your wedding turned out to be." Miyako grinned. It was true; her wedding last year had been nothing short of wonderful. It was even better than she had hoped. She wished Kari to have a wedding just like it; one that was purely magical.

"So how did Tai take it?"

"Better than I expected. When I first called him this morning to tell him that his baby sister was finally getting married, he just got all silent of a sudden. Honestly, I thought he either fainted or went into shock. But then he just let out this long whoop and laughed. I'm meeting him for dinner tonight actually."

"With Daisuke?"

"No. He actually went to tell his parents first and then he promised he'd meet my brother. You know they're gonna bond right away. They're too alike."

"True."

Kari smiled yet again and the two women proceeded to chat on for a couple more hours about wedding plans and anything else that came to mind. Soon enough, Kari had stood up to leave. She promised Tai that she'd be at the restaurant at six and she still needed to get ready.

Upon arriving at her apartment, Kari proceeded to take a quick shower before putting on the dress she decided she was going to wear this morning. The dress was a pale pink color that reached down to her knees with thin spaghetti straps and a modest neckline. She decided to keep her hair down and curled the ends. She pulled one a pair of white sandals with small heels on her feet and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

Grabbing her purse, she walked out of her apartment and made her way to the restaurant in downtown Odaiba. She gave the hostess her name and followed her as she led to a table in the back of the restaurant, where her brother and his wife were already seated.

Taichi immediately jumped up as he saw his little sister approaching and enveloped her in a tight bear hug. Laughing, Kari returned the hug and grinned broadly as her brother congratulated her. Sora followed suit. Kari sat down opposite the couple and upon Sora's urging, told once again of how Daisuke proposed.

Sora grinned at the end of the story. Tucking a strand of fiery red hair behind her ear, she took Kari's hands into her own. "You have to let me make you the dress," she stated. Kari could see the twinkling in the mahogany eyes of her sister-in-law. Over the years Sora had uncovered her secret talent of designing clothes and, after some urging from Tai and Kari, had become a successful designer. She usually did private orders but every once in a while she sold some of her designs to some chic boutiques.

"Oh could you? That would be so amazing!" Kari exclaimed. She knew Sora had made beautiful dresses, especially those designed for weddings, and gushed at the thought of wearing one of those spectacular dresses as she walked down the aisle.

"But of course!" Sora replied, as though it wasn't even a question. "I already have an idea of what would look fabulous on you!" She grinned. Kari leaned back, watching her brother and Sora. Taichi was tall with short and spiky dark brown hair—he had cut the crazy mane of hair he kept throughout his childhood and teenage years, after Sora threatened to do it herself—and had the same chocolate brown eyes as her. He was dressed in a gray suit, clearly coming here straight from work. Though he looked tired and had dark circles under his eyes, he also looked very content.

Sora, on the other hand, looked very well rested. She wore a dark green dress that went nicely with her tan composure and athletically toned body. Her shoulder-length hair was let loose and it cascaded down in layers. They looked so happy together and Kari hoped that when she got married, she would like them now.

Their dinner had arrived and the trio dug in, Sora talking about the design she planned for Kari's dress and Tai mentioned some things about the latest case at work. Soon enough, they finished both their meal and dessert, and stood up to head their separate ways.

* * *

"This is perfect," Kari stated as she walked around the empty room. She leaned on the windowsill, looking outside. "Davis, this is exactly what I've been looking for!" Daisuke made his way over to his fiancé. He ran a tan hand through his dark brown locks. His deep amber eyes met hers and a smile spread across his face.

"Then let's get it," he stated simply.

"But Davis… are you sure?"

"Absolutely." She hugged him tightly before running off to examine the other rooms of the apartment. It wasn't huge but it was nice and spacious. The type that Kari had always promised herself she'd have. After she finished college, she wasn't able to afford this apartment, so she moved into the tiny one she currently resided in and decided to save up enough money. And now it wasn't only hers, she thought with a smile, it was theirs.

The apartment had two bedrooms, a decently sized bathroom, sleek kitchen, spacey living room and another room that would've made a good home office. As she flitted through the rooms, her smile widening more and more as her eyes lay on each room. Davis, on the other hand, went to talk to the property owner about payment arrangements and making sure that everything was functional.

Kari joined him a while later, with a soft kiss on his cheek. "I love it. I love you."

He grinned. "I love you too. The owner says we could start moving in by the end of the week. Wanna go furniture shopping?"

"Definitely."

"Let's go then." After exchanging handshakes with the owner, he wrapped one arm around his fiancé's waist and led her out. They went to several stores, managing to find some really nice sets and other furniture pieces that they ordered to be shipped at the beginning of next week. After they were too exhausted to do anymore shopping ("Finally!" Davis exclaimed as they walked out of the stuffy store), they decided to head back to his place for some dinner.

Afterwards, they decided to watch a movie (Pride and Prejudice, much to his dismay). "Do you want a hire a wedding planner?" He asked, not being able to pay attention to the movie after the first five minutes.

She lay back on the couch, putting her head on his lap. "Wedding planners are nice and efficient… but I think it'd be even more special if it was just us…"

He twirled her hair around his fingers and smiled. "Sounds good." He put his head on the back of the couch, closing his eyes halfway. "I was going to ask Ken to be my best man."

"That's fine with me. Even better, in fact, you know I want Miyako as my maid of honor." He nodded slightly. "Can you imagine it?"

"Imagine what?"

"Us getting married."

"To be honest… no. Hell, I didn't think we'd ever date, let alone get married. You wouldn't even give me the time of day in college." A slow smile crept across his face as the memories flashed through his mind.

She giggled. "You were just so loud and such a show-off, I just expected you to be like the rest of the cocky, arrogant, jock boys." He pouted and she giggled again before leaning up and kissing him softly. "I'm so glad you proved me wrong."

"You mean it?"

"Without any doubts," she said, earning him another kiss.

He flashed a slow, wicked grin. "Well soon-to-be Mrs. Motomiya, why don't you tell me how much you appreciate that decision," he replied as he leaned over her. She wrapped her arms around his neck loosely.

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

She took the rest of the week to pack her things with the help of Sora and Miyako. She was surprised that it had only taken one day to pack all her things. Sure, she knew that she didn't own all that much, but she didn't think she owned so little either. I guess when you live in an apartment the size of a walk-in closet, everything is so cluttered that you think there's so much stuff.

By the time the weekend came, Kari had managed to transport all her boxes to the new apartment, much thanks to Miyako owning a minivan. She was looking forward to spending some time alone in the new place. Davis would be gone all weekend on a small vacation with his sister and her family. The furniture would be arriving on Monday and she had already set up her old apartment to be sold. It'd be nice to spend the weekend getting used to living in her new _home_.

"Okay, that's the last of it," Kari stated as she took the final box out of the car.

Miyako smiled from the driver's side. "Alright, call me if you need help unpacking or anything. You know I'd be glad to help."

"I won't need the help but I'll certainly call you," Kari promised, heading into the complex. Miyako waved before driving off. Kari watched as the car disappeared down the street before walking inside. She pushed the up button for the elevator and looked up at the numbers as the car came down. Behind her, someone else had walked into the small lobby, checked their mail and stood behind her, also waiting for the elevator.

The car finally came down, letting off its passengers, and she stepped inside. As she turned around, she nearly gasped. Following her into the elevator was a handsome—no scratch that—_gorgeous_ man. He had golden blonde hair that seemed to glow under the weak fluorescent lights of the elevator. His eyes were shaded behind a pair of dark sunglasses and a cell phone was wedged between his ear and his right shoulder, listening to whoever was on the other side of the call and flipping through his mail. He had a nice tan, as though he spent a lot of time in the sun, which was accented by his plain stark white t-shirt and light blue basketball shorts.

She noticed that his body was very toned. His shirt was drenched in sweat and clung to his body, where she saw the outline of his six-pack on his abdomen. _Must work out a lot_, she decided. She also noticed that his legs were hairless as though he waxed, a rarity for men. He looked like a model that just stepped off the cover of some magazine.

"Look, I have no idea what he wants for his birthday but I'm going in the elevator right now so I'll have to call you back later," he said into the phone, his voice low and melodic. His soft lips curved into a careless smile as he said goodbye and hung up the phone. He took off the glasses then and looked up at her. She felt her knees weaken. He had the most beautiful shade of blue eyes she had ever seen. They were like the crystal clear beaches of tropical islands on the brightest, clearest day. The ones that were only pictured in brochures. "Sister-in-law," he offered, pointing to the black device in his hand. He was still grinning. "I don't think I've ever seen you around here before."

"I…just moved in," she replied, her voice dry and barely above a whisper. His eyes were mesmerizing and she found it hard to look away. She smiled weakly. _Get a grip, Hikari_, she mentally scolded herself. She cleared her throat and extended a hand, balancing the box in the other hand. "Hikari Yagami."

"Takeru Takaishi," he replied as he took her hand. It was warm and his handshake was strong and firm, but at the same time gentle. "Do you need help with that?" He pointed to the box in her arms.

"Oh I'm alright."

"Oh please, I insist." He took the box from her in one swift movement, his grin changing into a slow and seductive (or was that her imagination?) smile, flashing his pearly white teeth. "Well then, Ms. Yagami, welcome to the building. I live on the fifteenth floor, apartment B if you ever need anything." She nodded.

They stepped off on the twelfth floor and walked up to her door. She fumbled around her purse for a half a minute while she searched for her keys. Finding them, she quickly unlocked the door and walked inside, holding the door open for him. "You can just leave that on the table," she said. He put the box down.

"Really, if you ever need anything, don't be afraid to ask," he offered, heading toward the door.

"I'll keep that in mind," she replied as she escorted him to the door, twirling a strand of hair around her index finger. Smiling, he walked out, shutting the door behind him. She paused, her gaze dropping down to her hand. Did she really twirl her hair just now? It was such a juvenile act… and flirty. What the hell was she thinking?

* * *

A/N: hey guys! It's been a few years since I've written anything (or been here for that matter). School's been occupying the majority of the time. Especially now that I'm in college and all. Anyways, I've always loved Takari (they belong together, damnit!) so I decided to write something new focusing on the pair. Anyway, I hope you like it. (You'll also know that I abuse the word anyway XD) Please review. I'd love to know how I'm doing and I accept all critiques and suggestions. They always help me become a better writer.

Disclaimer: almost forgot about this, but yeah, I don't own any of the characters. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Elevator Rides With The Devil**

**Chapter Two**

"I can't believe I did that," Hikari moaned slightly before putting a piece of salmon sushi in her mouth. "Probably because I've never seen such a gorgeous man before. I swear, he belongs in a fashion magazine or something."

Miyako laughed softly as she poured some soy sauce over her chicken teriyaki. "Don't worry about it, Kari, he probably didn't even notice." She bit down on a piece of the white meat. "And I have to meet this gorgeous model man."

"Miya! You're married."

Miyako laughed again. "I'm not going to do anything to him." She grinned. "If he's as gorgeous as you make him sound, then looking will be good enough for me."

"You say that now."

It was a nice Saturday afternoon and the two women were sitting in SeaStar, a nice little Japanese restaurant in downtown Odaiba. Kari decided that she needed to go out and have some lunch, trying to forget the fact that she flirted with her handsome blue-eyed stranger. Not that it was such a huge deal, Kari knew she was blowing the 'situation' out of proportion, but she just didn't act like that. Ever. Flirting wasn't one of her strongest points. She was always in awe of the girls who made flirting look so easy. To her, it was about as awkward and irrational as understanding the fascination men had with sports.

"Just because I'm married doesn't mean I'm not allowed to look. I bet even Ken has some eye candy too. Why shouldn't I?"

"Does that mean I should expect you at my apartment every day of the week?"

"Make it every other day." Kari shook her head, smiling. "Now then, how about we finish up here, go to that new spa a few blocks over and have a nice relaxing time while we sip chilled smoothies and get our backs rubbed?"

"Sounds like a plan." And they did just that. Afterwards, they went their separate ways; Miyako to meet Ken for a movie and Kari to her apartment, where she would start unpacking and making the apartment a habitable and comfortable place. She was about done with the kitchen when the phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered, tucking the phone between her ear and shoulder as she took out another piece of china from the box.

"Hey, you," Davis answered in a low voice.

She smiled as she unwrapped the newspaper surrounding the plate. "Hey yourself stranger. How are you?"

"Terrible."

"Aw, hun, why's that?"

"You're not here." A soft blush spread over her cheeks and she giggled softly. "And my sister's nuts. She has these moments where she would just stare at me for about ten minutes straight and then all of a sudden, she'd just pinch me with his huge grin on her face."

Kari laughed. "I'm sure she's just in shock that her baby brother is actually married."

Davis sighed. "I miss you. Have I mentioned that yet?"

"Once or twice."

"So how are things over there?"

"Great. I'm almost done unpacking the kitchen. I feel like I have so much space, it's amazing. I'm going to start on our little office space soon."

"Sounds like you're enjoying yourself."

"Absolutely. It's everything I've been dreaming of. And it all belongs to us." She grinned at the last word as a certain pride filled up inside of her.

"I'm glad." There was a shout in the background before Davis added, "Well don't spend all day cooped in the apartment. Go out and meet our neighbors."

"Oh I already met someone. People are so nice around here."

"Mm hm. Well Jun's calling me for… oh I have no idea what she wants from my life, but if I don't get over there soon enough, I might just end up hurt."

Kari smiled to herself. "Alright, I love you."

"I love you too." Hanging up the phone, she finished putting away all the dishes and various other kitchen appliances into the cabinets. Satisfied, she decided to take a refreshing shower before curling up out on the balcony with her usual romance novel. (Everyone's entitled to their guilty pleasures, right?)

* * *

"How about in fall? It's so beautiful when the trees are different colors. The photographs would come out absolutely stunning," Kari stated. Fall had always been her favorite season. Davis paused at his spot from the sink, holding a plate in one hand and a soapy cloth in the other.

"You mean in a couple of months?"

"No," she shook her head. "We can't plan that fast. I'd lose my mind!" He let out a small sigh of relief before continuing to wash the dishes. While he had wanted to get married soon, the idea of having about two months to prepare everything that Kari envisioned would take nothing short of a miracle.

"I don't know… Doesn't that seem like a long time?" As he turned off the water, Davis spun around to face his fiancé, a smile upon his face. "How about in the winter? With the snow and everything? You love the snow."

Kari smiled weakly. While it was true that she loved the snow, she also wanted a little more time to prepare everything. It had to be perfect. "Sure, why not?" she replied. Davis smiled brightly and hugged the petite brunette. Kari grinned back before looking down at her planner. It had been three weeks since they moved into the apartment (though it was mostly Kari that moved as Davis still kept his own apartment as well) and everything was going according to plan. The furniture had arrived just in time and with some help from Ken, had been arranged accordingly. It was beginning to feel rather cozy.

And since it was summer vacation, Kari had the time off to start preparing for the wedding. "So I was thinking that we could go search for some areas to be reserved for the wedding." While they had looked around at a few spots in the neighborhood, the perfect location was still waiting to be found. "How about next weekend?"

"That's no good for me. The health inspectors are coming next weekend and I want to be there when they do to make sure everything is fine." He furrowed his eyebrow as his face contorted into deep thought. "How about the weekend after?"

"Okay," she replied as she scribbled the information into the planner. "Any ideas where we could go?" Davis shrugged slightly, still thinking.

"My parents want to meet you," he stated after a moment of silence.

"And I want to meet them."

"How about Tuesday night?"

Kari smiled. "Sounds good to me." He smiled back as he nodded.

* * *

Tuesday night came a lot quicker than Kari had expected and before long, she was staring into the contents of her closet, attempting to find a suitable outfit to wear for the duration of the evening. Davis hadn't been of any help when she asked him the same question earlier this morning. He merely flashed her one of his special smiles that he said were especially reserved for her and told her that she'd look good in anything. While a sweet answer, it was useless nevertheless. And so instead, she had called Miyako for help, where she was currently listing the articles of clothing she had.

"What does one even wear when you're meeting his parents?"

"When I first met Ken's parents, he didn't actually inform me until I was already there. God, I felt so stupid standing there in my yellow capris, my blue wrinkled t-shirt and the apron from my dad's shop. Be happy that Davis atleast told you," Miyako sighed at the memory.

"I think I would've died right on the spot."

"I think a part of me did. I swore I was going to kill him."

"Getting back to me…" Kari said as she went through her clothes again. "I still have no idea what to wear tonight. This is nerve-racking!"

"You know what? Go find every girl's necessity: a simple black dress and wear that. Listen, Ken is going to be here any minute now and the soup's still not done. Call you later?"

"Of course," Kari replied as she hung up the phone. She pulled out a few black dresses. The first one she tried on Kari thought was a little too revealing. The second one was too long. It was pretty hot outside and she thought a long dress wasn't going to make it any easier. _Well, third time's the charm_, she told herself and she slipped it on. It had a halter top, exposing her back and showing off a decent amount of cleavage. The dress was pretty loose, made from silk, but curved at all the right parts, stopping just above her knees.

Deciding the dress looked fine, she brushed her hair out before clipping it up with an alligator clip and took out her make-up purse. She applied a light coat of blush and lip gloss followed by some mascara and eyeshadow. She put away the make-up then pulled out a pair of black ballet flats that she bought last week. She grabbed her purse along with all the necessities and made her way to the elevator.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" she was greeted as the car doors opened. Looking up, she came face to face with a pair of teasing blue eyes, only belonging to Takeru.

"Hello to you too," Kari stated as she stepped into the elevator.

"So where are you headed this fine afternoon?"

"Just to meet… some important people." _Like my future in-laws_, the voice in her head added.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were going out on a date," he added before looking down at his phone in the palm of his hand. Kari blushed slightly.

"No, it's a little more important than that," she said.

"I see," he told her as he tugged at the black tie around his neck. She looked over him. He was wearing a turquoise short-sleeved button down shirt that was tucked into a pair of black dress pants. The matching coat was draped over one his arms and he typed quickly into the handheld device.

"And where, might I ask, are you going to? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were going out on a date," she said, mimicking his earlier words and smiled.

He put his phone into the pocket of his pants and he laughed softly as he looked up. "I'm… meeting _some important people_," he replied, teasingly. She laughed softly, which caused him to grin in response. "Actually, I'm going out to a celebratory dinner with some people from work."

"Sounds like fun."

"I'm sure it will be." He ran his hand through his golden locks. "You, on the other hand, look nervous."

"Well, I guess I am a little nervous."

"I'm sure you have nothing to worry about."

"I don't know… I really want to make a good impression… Honestly, I woke up feeling completely confident, a rare occurrence for me, today and now… well I'm not so sure anymore."

"I hate to break it to you, hun, but no one's confident. Some people are just better at pretending than others." She paused as his words sunk in. He watched her.

"I never thought about it like that," she admitted.

He continued, "Well look it at this way: everyone is worried by something, it's an inevitable part of life. So instead of wasting time, effort, and health over whatever the issue is, you just put it out of your mind and focus your energy on more important things, whatever they may be. Those are your 'confident' people."

"Huh," was all she said as she thought about the wise words.

"So…" The doors opened at the lobby and the two stepped out. "In exchange for a piece of my mind, how about I treat you to some dinner Friday night?" He flashed her a smirk and before she had a chance to give him an answer, he added, "Great. See you then." And slid into the cab that was waiting for him, driving away.

Kari watched as the car disappeared into the horizon, looking a little shocked. How did she get herself in these situations? She pondered over that as she started to walk toward her destination. Davis said that he would be working late Friday, plus it was poker night with the guys, and she didn't have any other plans that day. Damn that gorgeous blonde! He knew exactly how to pick a date.

* * *

Davis was standing outside of the restaurant when Kari walked up. Looking her up and down, a wide grin replaced his neutral expression that he held a moment ago. "You look beautiful," he told her, leaning down to kiss her.

She returned the kiss, smiling. "You don't look so bad yourself."

"Ready?"

"Yes." He took her hand in his, entwining their fingers together as they walked into the restaurant. An elderly couple were already seated at the table, peering at the menu. As Davis approached with Kari, they put down the small booklets and greeted them.

"This is Hikari," Davis informed his parents as they sat down. Kari smiled. "And this is my mom, Setsuna, and my dad, Hirohiko." Kari smiled at the two and offered her hand.

"Well it's about time," Setsuna stated with a wide smile. "I've been waiting _eons_ for Davis to finally introduce us to the girl of his dreams."

Hirohiko nodded in agreement. "No wonder he's been keeping you all to himself, you really are a beautiful girl." Kari turned a bright scarlet as she thanked them. They ordered their meals and the couple began asking about Kari; about her family, what she did for a living, plans for the wedding, etc.

Before long, they were heading back to their apartment. "Do you think they liked me?" Kari asked as Davis stopped at a red light. He turned to face her, smiling.

"Of course they did, how could they not?"

"I don't know… don't you think they were a bit colder when I told them I didn't want children right away?"

"Nonsense," he replied as he drove. "They're old, all they want is grandchildren. Don't worry about it. They know we'll have kids one day. It's not like I'm ready to have some right now either."

Kari smiled, cupping one of his hands in hers. "How cute, a mini Davis."

He smiled. "I was thinking more along the lines of a tiny Kari." Giggling, she kissed his cheek.

* * *

A/N: This was a pretty slow chapter but I thought it'd be nice to provide some background information and such. I promise the next chapter should be a little more interesting. After all, it's the date with Takeru! Wonder how that's going to go! ;) Anyway, please review!


	3. Chapter 3

**Elevator Rides With The Devil**

**Chapter Three**

Friday afternoon Hikari stepped out of the shower, feeling rather giddy. It was a strange sensation. It was the same feeling she felt every time Davis took her out on a date. _This isn't a date_, she reminded herself as she made her way to her room. _This is just a friendly dinner, nothing more_. But then why did it feel so much like a date? Ignoring the little voice in the back of her head, she sat down on the bed and grabbed the bottle of lotion, rubbing the sweet pea scented cream on her hands and arms.

Takeru was supposed to be here in about twenty minutes, as he 'told' her by leaving a cute little post-it note on her door the day before. It was a rather cute gesture, in her opinion, but she had wanted to choke him for doing such a thing. She was coming home from the movies with Davis when she noticed the Mickey Mouse shaped paper taped on her door. It seemed so… juvenile. She used the same post-its for her kindergarten class. She also noticed he had pretty nice handwriting as she read the small message: "_See you at six tomorrow. Don't forget. TT._" It wasn't big and sloppy, as she expected all men's handwriting to be (she could barely make out Davis's chicken scratch half the time) but it was small and curvy. Panicked, she snatched the paper off the door, instantly crumbling it into a tiny ball before Davis could read what it said (and not to mention, ask questions).

_"What's that?" Davis had asked curiously as he came up behind her._

_"Just a thank you note from the girl next door," Kari replied quickly as she fumbled with her keys. "I lent her some sugar the other day."_

_"Oh. Why'd you crumble it then?"_

_"Did you want to keep it?"_

_"No, but you usually just throw away paper the way it is."_

_"I guess it's a new habit," she replied, quickly distracting him with a kiss._

Kari felt guilty for lying to Davis about such a stupid little thing, but she also felt mad at Takeru for causing her to lie. Not that it was his fault, she knew that. After all, she was the one who never mentioned her boyfriend, but she needed someone to blame and he just fit the part at the moment. Standing up, she walked over to her closet. She wished that Takeru had instead told her what to wear, or atleast a hint of where they would be going so she would have an idea of an outfit she could put on.

She decided on a casual outfit consisting of a pair of white capris with little blue flowers at the hem and a matching tank top. She wore her hair down and grabbed a pair of white flip flops. Just as she was putting her cell phone into her purse, she heard the soft knock on her door. "Coming!" she called out as she walked over to the door.

"Ready?" Takeru asked, running a hand through his hair. She was relieved when she saw him wearing a black t-shirt and dark grey denim shorts.

"Yes," she replied, grabbing her keys from the hook near the door. "Though it would be nice to know where I was going. Maybe I wouldn't have spent such a long time deciding what to wear." He gave her a once-over, before smiling and walking towards the elevator.

"That wouldn't have been fun," he replied, pressing the down button. She locked the door and walked over to join him. "Besides, you probably would've looked fine in anything."

She sighed softly. "I like knowing things. Planning, being prepared. All that jazz."

"Yes, I figured you were one of those women." They got into the elevator. "But you see, Hikari, you can't plan your entire life out. Life just doesn't work like that. Besides, what fun would that be anyway? One of the best things of life is dealing with the unexpected. Not following all the rules society binds us by, but really _living_. Nothing can ever replace the experiences that come with that kind of life."

"So you're not going to tell me where we're going, are you?" she asked as they stepped out on the lobby and walked out into the parking lot.

"Nope," he replied with a smile as he put on his sunglasses. She sighed again but followed him as he made his way towards a shiny black Lexus.

"Nice car," she remarked.

"Thanks," he replied. He unlocked the doors and slid inside. She got in on the passenger's side. She noticed that the car was as clean inside as it was outside. There wasn't even a stray crumb or piece of paper anywhere within the black interior. She leaned back in the black leather seat and tugged the seatbelt over her. "Do you mind if I put music on?" he asked, grabbing a CD from the glove compartment.

"Not at all." As the rock music filled the car, Kari thought about how Davis hated driving with music. He always thought it was too distracting and nothing good would be on the radio anyway. Riding in silence didn't bother her much but there was a time every now and again when she just wanted to belt out in song, with the wheel as the microphone. Takeru drummed his fingers to the beat on the wheel as they drove away.

She first thought they were headed to the beach but then he made a turn a couple of blocks and drove downtown instead. Though curiosity gnawed at her mind, she just observed the scenery they passed, knowing that asking him where they were going would be in vain. She didn't notice when he stopped a few minutes later until he opened the door for her and offering his hand. Blinking, she took it and got out of the car. "Wow, we stopped," she laughed.

"Yes, we did," he replied with a smile. "So what's on your mind?"

"Why do you think something's on my mind?"

"There has to be something on your mind for you to be so distracted."

"Nah… I think it was the music. Who played that? I don't think I've ever heard of them."

"I'm not surprised, it's not an actual record."

"It's not? But they sounded really good!"

He smiled. "Yeah. It's a good friend of mine actually."

Kari looked around and blinked, trying to figure out where they were. Tall buildings surrounded them, their steel and glass structures reaching into the sky. Behind them stood a bank that took up the whole block and across the street were some boutiques and small shops. "Where are we?" she asked, a confused expression on her face.

"Downtown," he offered simply and began walking down the street.

"And what are we doing here?"

"You just have to know, don't you?" She nodded. "You'll find out soon enough." He crossed the street then turned the corner and headed for one of the skyscrapers. He held the glass door open for her as she stepped inside. She wasn't sure where they were but it looked like a hotel lobby. There was a long desk on one side with several people working behind it, a small fountain in the corner, and pots of flowers in the other free corners.

"Is this a hotel?" she asked as she followed Takeru over to the elevator.

"Of course not," he replied. "This is just the lobby for a company."

"Um…" Not offering any more information, he stepped into the mirrored elevator and pressed the topmost button. The doors closed behind them and within what felt like seconds, dramatically rushed up to the roof. As the doors opened again, Kari saw that they just walked into one of those rooftop restaurants that were only seen in the movies. "Wow… I never knew a restaurant was here before."

"Most people don't," Takeru offered as he walked over to the hostess. Upon giving her his name, he turned to Kari, smiling, "You don't mind eating outside, do you?"

"Not at all." She took a quick look around. Half of the restaurant was indoors, where they were standing now, surrounded by ceiling-to-floor glass windows with an exquisite view of the city. Some classical music was playing softly in the background while the people dined. The hostess led them to the outside section, sitting them at a table near the railing surrounding the section. The railing was pretty tall, reaching to the bottom of Kari's ribs, and adorned with flowers and vines in such a way that made it seem like they were in a garden. The tables were covered with white and red tablecloths.

Takeru pulled out the chair for her as the hostess put down the menus. Kari sat down, still taking in the view as Takeru pushed her in. He walked around to the other side of the table and sat down. Kari picked up one of the menus and immediately had it snatched away. Blinking, she looked up at Takeru. "I'll order for you," he told her with a breathtaking smile.

"Oh, okay," Kari replied while thinking how it should be illegal for someone to look so good. Looking around at the other people who were seated outside, she suddenly felt very self conscious of herself in her casual outfit while the other women wore dresses and fancy skirts. "You should've told me to wear a dress, or a skirt at the least."

"I like the way you're dressed." He followed her gaze at the other women before coming back to her. "Don't worry about how the others are dressed. As long as you're comfortable then that's all that matters. Besides, I doubt you'll find a dress comfortable after this."

"After this?"

He smiled mysteriously. Before she could ask him to expand on that, a waiter in a black and white uniform materialized before them, asking them for their orders. "We'll have some prawn cigars to start. Then we'll have a wild salmon gremolata and a pepper steak for me." The waiter quickly wrote down the orders then took the menus and disappeared into the kitchen.

"How do you know I'll like salmon?"

"Should I have ordered you meat instead?"

"No, it's just… I think you're the first person who knew I would prefer seafood over meat."

"What can I say? It's a gift."

"And a curse?"

"Nah, just a gift." Smiling, he leaned back in his seat. "So tell me a little about yourself, Hikari."

"You can call me Kari," she replied. "What would you like to know?"

"Anything you are willing to tell me." It was an odd sensation, having to talk about herself. She was used to Davis talking most of the time, even on their first date, and she would be the listener. Now that the roles were reversed, she was at a loss of words.

"There's not much to say…" she admitted, playing with the napkin between her hands. "Born and raised here, with good parents and an older brother. Dad's a businessman, mom's a home decorator. I got my teaching certificate last year and now I'm teaching a kindergarten class."

"Never wanted to get out of the area?"

"Not really. I like it here. It's… peaceful isn't the right word, but it's the one that comes to mind."

"I know what you mean."

The waiter came over with the prawn cigars. Taking a shrimp stuffed wonton, Kari dipped it into the cocktail horseradish sauce and took a bite. "Tell me about yourself."

"Well I was born here too, but lived most of my life in the outskirts of town. I spent the last three years in France with my grandfather. But enough about me, let's talk about you instead." He took a wonton.

"But you're so much more interesting."

He grinned. "You don't know that. So why kindergarten?"

"I'm not sure to be honest. I think kids are the cutest when they're in kindergarten."

"I'll take your word for it."

The sun started to set slowly, turning the blue sky orange and yellow. "I love watching sunsets," Kari stated, looking out into the distance. "The sky is the prettiest at this time. It reminds me of fall, all the different colors."

Takeru smiled. "Sunsets are pretty, but it doesn't compare to a sunrise. One minute everything's dark and bleak and the next you're seeing brilliant colors everywhere. Everything seems to sparkle."

"I never woke up early enough to see a sunrise."

"Seriously?"

"Mmhm." The waiter came by again, putting down the steak and the salmon. They dug into their own meals as they quietly watched the sun set in the horizon. Just before it got completely dark, the restaurant came aglow with fairy lights that were conveniently hidden in the flowers in the railing. "That was delicious," Kari stated, putting down her utensils as she swallowed.

"Glad you thought so." He had finished his own meal a few minutes prior to her and was leaning on his hand. She leaned back slightly in her seat, looking over the blonde. Even though his chin was cupped into the palm of his hand, his back was straight with his shoulders back. _He could put a Greek god to shame with that posture_, she thought to herself as she straightened out her own back. The waiter came around again, putting down a plate with a slice of Bordeaux cherry amaretto cheesecake, while taking away their empty plates. She didn't even know when he had ordered dessert. He grabbed a spoonful of the cake and ate it slowly, nodding. "I think you'll like this," he told her.

She took a small bite and almost moaned in pleasure. The white chocolate mixed with ganache and the chocolate chunks melted in her mouth. She savored the taste for a minute before swallowing the sweet concoction. "This is amazing. Why aren't you eating it?"

"I'm pretty full."

"Nonsense," she said as she picked up another spoonful and putting it into his mouth. She would have blushed at that moment—she never was a fan of feeding your boyfriend in public—if the cake didn't provide such a distraction. When she had finished, Takeru paid the check, not even allowing her to look how much this dinner cost, and they made their way back down to street level.

"I don't think I've ever eaten so well before," she said as they got into his car. He offered her a smile as he started up the car.

"Well I hope you're not too full."

"Too full for what?"

"You'll see." She almost growled; she was getting just a tad bit tired of his mysteriousness. He pulled out of the spot he was parked in and drove off. About fifteen minutes later, he parked the car again and got out. She slid out, before he could half jog to her side and open the door this time. "We have to walk a couple of blocks," he answered her unspoken question of 'where are we?' She started walking when she suddenly felt something covering her eyes.

"Hey… what is this?" she asked, tugging at the material.

"A blindfold."

"Why?" She could just feel him smiling as he answered, "surprise."

"So how am I supposed to know where I'm going?"

"Trust me." She felt one hand on the small of her back while the other one held her hand and led the way. He stopped about a minute later. "Ready?" he whispered in her ear. She nodded as he took off the blindfold. Her jaw dropped for a second before turning into a huge grin.

"Oh my god… I haven't been to an amusement park since I was in high school!" she exclaimed. Eyes wide with excitement, she grabbed his hand and pulled him inside the brightly lit park.

* * *

She was still bouncing when she got out of his car for the third time in the evening. "This was great, Takeru." She grinned, making her way to the lobby. He laughed softly as he locked the car and followed behind.

"It was my pleasure," he said as he held the door open for her. She stepped inside and made her way over to the elevator. He put his hands into the pockets of his shorts, smiling at the brunette beside him. She turned to him suddenly and hugged him tightly. Laughing, he pulled his hands back out of his pockets and rubbed her back gently. Without thinking, she nuzzled her head in his chest. She felt so safe and secure in his arms, like every worry she had in her mind disappeared and only happy thoughts filled her mind. She had no idea of what happened next. All she knew was that she looked up at the Adonis-like man, seeing her own reflection in his ocean blue eyes. The brilliant blue orbs were all she could see as he leaned down slowly. She could feel her lips part voluntarily.

"Kari?"

* * *

A/N: Ooooh cliffhanger (please don't kill me XD)! Now who could it be that ruins the moment? Well, you'll just have to wait until the next chapter to find out! :P Wow I'm amazed. Two chapters within a week! This never happens to restaurant was actually based on one I've been to myself (and yes I felt very self-conscious when I walked in wearing shorts and a t-shirt) Hehehe.

And to answer a couple of questions:

Cinnamon-Sweet: no Davis isn't cheating on her, sorry if I made it sound like that. Fridays are just a guy's night out for him. :)

Joeshen: Thank you! :D Honestly, I wasn't expecting to update the story this quickly either. It usually takes forever and a day to write. Unfortunately, I wasn't really planning to make the first season guys make appearances in this story besides Yamato (though he won't know Taichi, sorry!), but maybe in another story! :P

Anyway, please review!

Sayonara!


	4. Chapter 4

**Elevator Rides With The Devil**

**Chapter Four**

"Kari?"

Hikari snapped up at the sound of her name and immediately found herself peering into the chocolate brown eyes of her brother. Takeru had long let go of her, shoving his hands back into the pockets of his shorts and straightened up.

"Tai?" Tai's eyes darted from his sister to the blonde standing next to her and back, but remained completely silent, something very un-Tai like. Kari quickly hugged him, kissing him on his cheek. "What are you doing here?"

"Visiting you…" he answered uncertainly as he stared at the blonde.

Hikari followed his gaze. "Oh I'm sorry! This is Takeru, one of my _neighbors_," she said, putting emphasis on the last word to relay that they were nothing more than that, "and this is Taichi, my older brother."

Takeru nodded slightly. "Nice to meet you," he said quietly. But before Tai said anything in return, Takeru's phone suddenly rang. Pulling out the black device, he looked down at the small screen for a second before turning to Kari. "Sorry, this is kinda important. Good night, Kari," he said as he stalked to the other end of the lobby.

"Good night," Kari answered cheerfully before closing the elevator door. She had no idea what was going through her brother's mind at the moment but the silence was making it very uncomfortable. "Look, it's not what it looked like," she said at last, feeling naked under Tai's gaze.

"Enlighten me," he replied, a hint of venom coating his words. She flinched slightly. Tai never used that tone, especially not with her, unless he was really angry. She knew what she must've looked like to him and if she were in his shoes, she knew that she would have the same reaction.

"It was just… I was caught up in the moment, okay? I was just really, really happy and I just hugged him suddenly," Kari stated, getting out of the elevator. She breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped out. The elevator was starting to suffocate her. "It meant nothing," she added as she walked over to her door.

She heard Tai let out a long sigh behind her. "Look, Kar, I know you probably were _in the moment_, as you put it, but you gotta understand what it looked like to me… what if it was Davis instead of me? He seems to be a good guy, and I think you should treasure that."

"I do, Tai, really. It didn't mean anything. Nada, zip, zero, zilch. I promise." She kicked off her flip flops and stalked to the kitchen. "Do you want anything?"

"No I'm alright," Tai replied as he took off his shoes and headed to the living room. Kari poured herself a glass of water before walking over. It was then that she noticed the large box Tai was holding.

"What's that?"

"Sora got started on the dress. She said to leave this with you and that she'll come over tomorrow to do details or whatever the hell she said. You know I can barely understand her when she starts talking in her fashion designer mode." He cracked a small grin.

Kari returned the smile. "So am I allowed to look at it?"

Tai shrugged. "I didn't ask. Though I doubt it's much more than folded fabric."

With a nod, she took the box and walked over to the office-room, putting it on top of the desk. Tai was putting his shoes back on as she walked back. "You're leaving already?"

Tai nodded. "I promised Sora I'd pick up some stuff from the supermarket on my way home." He enveloped her in a bear hug before walking out of the apartment. As she locked up and headed to her bedroom, Kari kept thinking about the last ten minutes. Was she really going to kiss him? _You've lost your mind, Kari_, she mentally told herself. _And you can't let that happen again. Ever._

* * *

"So what were you worried about?" Davis asked as he got out of the car. "It went pretty good, in my opinion. I think your brother likes me. Atleast he didn't kill me like you thought he would."

Kari got out on the other side and walked over to the trunk where Davis was currently taking out their shopping bags. "I didn't think he would kill you or anything… He can just be a little overprotective." She grabbed a few bags and walked into the lobby of her building.

"Well if I had a sister that was half as beautiful as you are, I'd be overprotective too," he replied, grabbing the rest of the bags and following her.

Kari smiled. "I don't know whether to smile or say you're being mean."

"How am I mean?"

"Your sister's pretty too."

Davis made a face. "She's completely insane."

"I said she was pretty, not sane." Kari laughed softly as Davis shrugged.

"You know… We've been here… what? Two months now? And I still have yet to meet our neighbors."

"You've met the one with the dogs." Kari grinned to herself when she remembered the incident two weeks ago. She and Davis were going out to dinner when an old lady got on the elevator holding about seven leashes that were attached to Chihuahuas (or overfed rats, as Davis put). One look at Davis and the tiny dogs immediately attacked.

"Other than the one with the crazy dogs," Davis said, wincing at the memory. He still had a bite mark on his leg from one of the 'rats'. As though on cue, Hikari saw Takeru—of all people! What are the chances?— enter the lobby. She immediately froze as the blonde made his way toward them. It had been three weeks since the 'almost-kiss incident,' as she was referring to it now, and Kari was lucky enough not to bump into the culpable man since then. Fortunately, the blonde seemed to be absorbed in the small pile of papers in his hands. Unfortunately that was also the moment that Davis took to ask the pale brunette if she was okay.

"Yeah, fine," she squeaked, quickly shaking out her hair. Takeru looked up as Davis turned toward him, a big grin on his face.

"Hey there," Davis greeted. "I'm Daisuke Motomiya."

Takeru smiled back as he took Davis's hand. "Takeru Takaishi, pleased to make your acquaintance." He watched as Davis wrapped an arm around Hikari's small waist.

"And this is my fiancé, Hikari."

Kari watched as the surprise filled the cerulean blue orbs and his smile turn into a smirk. "We've met," Takeru replied coolly.

"You have?" Davis blinked, trying to remember if Kari ever mentioned him. "I don't think she ever mentioned you." Kari stared down at the bag of groceries in her hands.

"Oh, that's okay, I'm pretty unremarkable compared to a _fiancé_." Kari wasn't sure whether the statement was a shocked one or an angry one but she could feel it directed right at her.

Davis, oblivious to the undertone, just grinned in response. "I guess I am a little more important, huh?" As Kari kept staring down at her bag, Takeru averted his gaze toward Davis and smiled.

"Well congrats, man, when's the lucky day?"

"The last day of January." Takeru patted him on the back, saying his congratulations again and watched as the couple got off on their floor, noticing how Kari had avoided looking at him at all costs.

* * *

"Okay and this piece is going to wrap around here…" Sora said as she wrapped a thin ribbon around Kari's waist. They were currently in Kari's living room with Sora working on the wedding dress. She already finished the basic layout and was working on the details. She grabbed her sketchbook and confirmed that the design was going along with the sketch. "Are you okay?" the red-head asked as she looked up from her sketchbook.

"Yeah," Kari assured her. "Just a little tired, I guess."

"Yeah… why don't we take a break for now?"

"Sure." With a small smile, Kari got off the tiny stool she was currently standing on.

"Hey guys!" Miyako greeted as she walked into the apartment, holding up a bag of food. "Wow Kari, that dress is amazing!" she gushed. Kari looked into the mirror. The dress _was _amazing. It was long, almost reaching down to her feet and accented all the right parts. The pure white color made her look pure and innocent and it made her hair appear darker.

"It really is," Kari replied with a smile. "You're amazing Sora."

Sora smiled in return, gladly taking the large bag from Miyako's hands. While Kari went to go change, as not to ruin the dress, the two women took out plates and silverware to set up the table. Kari came back a few minutes later, in a simple sporty outfit. "I should be finished with the dress in a couple of days," Sora said as she stabbed the piece of eel with her fork.

"I can't wait to see it," Miyako replied as she handed a plate to Kari. Kari thanked her as she sat down. Miyako settled herself between Sora and Kari and looked at the brunette. "Are you okay?" she asked, concern filling her eyes. Kari wasn't usually this quiet and she figured that something must be bothering her.

"Yeah I'm fine," Kari replied with a smile. "I'm just… thinking."

"About what?" Sora inquired as she looked over at her.

Kari shrugged slightly. "Everything I guess," she said at last. "I just feel like everything's moving so quickly, you know? Like I don't have any time for anything… With work and planning the wedding and just having a social life, I just feel like time is passing by and I'm not getting enough done." The answer was reasonable, and Sora accepted it without a second thought, but Miyako knew that there was more to the story.

Sora, however, laughed softly as she put her hand on Kari's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Kari, it's completely normal. I remember I felt the same way when Tai and I were getting married. I used to think, _my god there's only two months left and I haven't done anything_. Honestly, as more time passed, the more I thought everything wasn't going to be okay."

Miyako nodded in reply. "Me too," she said. "I remember freaking out about everything and Ken was just there, calm and unnerving. You know, there was one day when I thought I was going to lose my mind as I made about a billion phone calls and Ken was just laughing in the background. It was irritating, I felt like he should've been freaking out as much as I was. And then he comes over, takes away my books and the phone and tells me we're going out for the day. I was just so… shocked… but it really calmed my nerves. Just stop thinking about everything and just take a day for yourself. It'll help."

Kari smiled at the two of them. "Maybe I do need to take a day…" The three continued to eat and chat for another hour before Sora said that she needed to get going. Kari hugged her as Sora put on her shoes. "Thanks for everything."

"You can thank me after I'm done torturing you," Sora replied.

Kari laughed softly, shaking her head. "You could never torture me." She hugged her once again as she told the older girl to drive safely. After shutting the door, Kari walked over to the kitchen, where Miyako was putting away the dishes.

"So… spill it," the lavender haired girl demanded, closing the drawer with the silverware.

"Huh?"

"I know you, Kari, and I know that something's on your mind and it's not just the wedding plans."

Kari remained silent for a moment as she slumped down in a chair. "You remember Takeru?"

"The model guy?" Kari nodded. "Okay, what about him?"

"Well… I went on a date with him and I--"

Miyako's eyebrows shot up in surprise as she sat down on the chair opposite of Kari. "Why didn't I hear about this earlier?" she interrupted.

"I… I almost kissed him," Kari admitted, covering her face with her hands. "And that's not even the worst part. He met Davis. You know, when Davis told him that I was his fiancé, he just looked so… hurt." She remembered the look on Takeru's face that lasted only a second when Davis informed him.

Miyako put a finger to her lip. "He was probably just shocked. Besides, what do you mean you almost kissed him? And tell me everything, don't even miss a detail."

With a sigh, Kari took her hands away from her face and retold the account to her best friend. At the end of the story, Miyako had a wide grin on her face. Definitely not the reaction Kari thought she would get. "He sounds so romantic!" Miyako gushed. "I don't even remember the last time I went to an amusement park… especially late at night when everything was completely lit up. It must've been beautiful."

"Back to the real world…" Kari sighed, laying her head over her folded arms.

Miyako continued to smile as she walked around to the other side of the table and rubbed Kari's back. "Look, so you went on a date with the guy, big deal. You didn't kiss him--"

"Almost did," Kari corrected.

"But you didn't," Miyako replied. "You were just caught up in the moment, it happens to all of us. Just forget about it, you're blowing this out of proportion. Besides, why should you care if he looked hurt when Davis told him you were getting married? He was just shocked and chances are he won't care in a couple of days."

"I know but… I think it would've been better if he heard it from me… in a normal conversation…"

"True, but you can't do anything about that now. What's done is done. Now stop worrying over it and let's focus on more important issues, like how we're going to spend this weekend."

Kari let out a small smile and nodded. Miyako was right. She couldn't change the past and there was no point in worrying over it. After all, she had other, more important things to be worried about. Like the wedding plans. And finding a perfect location for said wedding. She had no time to be worrying about something that didn't happen. _Nor would it ever_, she added in her mind. So then why did she feel just slightly _sad_ when she put the blue-eyed Adonis out of her mind?

* * *

A/N: First of all, I want to apologize that this chapter took forever to upload. I had to leave town for a few days and when I came back, my computer crashed and deleted all my files, including the first copy of this.

On another note, I'm not too happy about this chapter. Might redo it sometime later. And for all of you who thought it was going to be Miyako at first, well you weren't wrong. I _was_ going to make it her at first. Hehe :P In fact, I was going to switch her and tai's positions in the end but then I figured Miyako would be a better confidante. Besides, if Kari told Tai that she went on a date with a guy other than Davis, I would imagine he would be like "o.O You did WHAT?! with WHO?!" So yeah... Anyway... it's the meeting between Takeru and Davis! It might seem a little early... but I thought that it'd fit better right here. Hehe. After all, Takeru should know what he's up against, right? And Hikari, if only she knew what was in store for her. :D

As always, please review! Ciao!


	5. Chapter 5

**Elevator Rides With The Devil**

**Chapter Five**

Hikari knew, from the moment she woke up this morning, that it was not going to be a good day. She let out a long sigh as she crossed her arms over the top of the table and laid her head on top of them. It was Christmas Eve and she was supposed to spend the day with Daisuke after he arrived from his interview in Kyoto. After the opening of the second restaurant, Davis had gotten so much publicity, especially ever since the restaurant made it into the "Top Ten Places to Dine in Japan" list in Time, one of the most popular magazines in Japan.

However, fate seemed to have a different plan for them. Instead, a huge blizzard had hit the Odaiba and the surrounding areas, cutting off all transportation to the city until the next day. And so, instead of brooding over the fact that she couldn't be celebrating with the love of her life, she decided to do something productive: she was going to bake. Well, it seemed like a good idea four hours ago, when almost every surface of her kitchen counter_ wasn't _occupied with cupcakes, brownies, cookies and other sweet concoctions. Great, now what was she supposed to do with all the sweets? She had already set apart a separate pile of goods for Miyako and Ken and another one for her brother and Sora and yet, she still had a ton of pastries left.

_No, Kari, it's a bad idea_, she scolded herself. However, she ignored the rather sane voice in the back of her mind. She stood up, taking another box and began to fill it with the sweets. After it was filled to the rim, she closed the box, tying it with a red and green ribbon to make sure it wouldn't open voluntarily. Slipping on a pair of flip-flops, she proceeded to climb up three flights of stairs. She stood outside of apartment 15B, pondering for a minute why she was doing this. The man barely knew her and yet she was bringing him cookies and cupcakes? It reminded her of her school years when girls would bring chocolate for the boys on Valentine's Day. It seemed like such an intimate thing to do. No, this is just you being friendly and giving a small Christmas gift to your neighbor, she reminded herself. There was nothing intimate about giving a friendly gift to your neighbor. Taking a breath, she forced her hand to ring the doorbell.

It was silent for a minute and Kari smiled to herself. Seems like fate was telling her that she wasn't meant to give the man anything. She was about to turn around and walk down into her own apartment when the door suddenly swung open and there stood Takeru, in all his glory. A surprised expression covered his angelic face. And why shouldn't he be? Kari just spent the last two months completely ignoring him. Not flat out ignoring, of course, but she made sure not to bump into him, going as far as taking the stairs down _and _ up. Partly due to guilt and partly due to the fact that she wasn't sure what would happen if she managed to gaze into his cerulean orbs. The pained, shocked look he held that time still haunted her and if she saw it again... well, she didn't know how she was going to react.

"Hello," he greeted her, a bright smile replacing the surprised look. "What brings you here?" He was dressed in a light grey button down shirt with a dark green sweater draped over it and a pair of jeans. She felt slightly subconscious standing in front of him wearing a white hello kitty long sleeved shirt and her dark grey sweats.

"I…uh…" Finding it difficult to speak while gazing into his cerulean orbs, she averted her eyes toward the box in her hands. "I went a little overboard with baking today so… I brought you some." She said, holding out the box to him.

He took the box. "Thanks," he said. It was then that she heard the sound of voices in the background. He had company.

"Oh I'm so sorry to disturb you!" She said quickly, bowing her head slightly. "I didn't know you were busy." A soft chuckle escaped his lips.

"Why don't you come in?" he offered.

"No, it's alright… I… uh… better be getting back…"

"Are you doing anything important right now?"

"Uh…no…"

"Then come on in," he said, pulling her inside. _Just act normal, Kari. Just act normal... _she kept repeating to herself. He closed the door behind her and walked to the kitchen. She kicked off her flip flops and followed the blonde. He put the box down on the table then opened a cabinet, pulling out a plate, bowl and a wine glass. "Come on," he said as he led the brunette to the living room.

Like the rest of the apartment, the room was painted a dark raspberry color with a pale cream color outlining the doorway and the frame of the windows. Matching curtains were pulled aside to let in the sunlight. Four white vases stood in each corner of the room, green vines spreading down to the floor. The contrast to the pinkish red color accented the room surprisingly well. There were no couches or sofas in the room. Instead, the only pieces of furniture that were there was a large kotatsu table in the middle of the room and a flat-screen television that hung on one of walls. The other walls were adorned with stylish black and white photographs.

All kinds of food and dishes were assembled on top of the kotatsu table. "We have one more person joining us," Takeru announced to the three other people in the room as he put down the dishes on the table top. Three pairs of eyes looked over in Kari's direction and she felt completely out of place. Takeru sat down, pulling Kari down with him and pulled the thick blanket over their legs. "Kari, this is my older brother, Yamato," he stated, nodding at the other blonde in the room. He would've looked like a mirror image of Takeru if it wasn't for the long blonde hair and looking slightly older. "His wife, Mimi," he continued as he pointed to the thin girl sitting next to Yamato. She had long cinnamon colored hair that cascaded down her back in waves and honey-brown eyes. "And this beautiful woman here… is my mother, Natsuko," Takeru concluded as he pulled an arm around the frail, old woman. The woman smiled brightly as she patted her son's arm, lightly blushing at the compliment. Kari took a moment to study the woman. She had her blonde hair pulled back into a small bun and soft blue eyes. She could see where Takeru got his looks from. "And this is Hikari, my beautiful neighbor."

Kari turned a shade of red at the compliment Takeru paid her. "Hello," she said softly.

"So this is the famous Kari you've been talking about," Yamato said, his lips curling into a secret smile as he extended his hand. Kari shook it lightly, smiling back, but wondering what Takeru had been saying about her.

Mimi grinned, pulling the younger woman into an embrace. She then playfully hit Yamato's arm while adding, "Oh don't embarrass her, Yama. Don't worry, we've only heard good things about you."

"I would hope so," Kari replied.

"How about we just start eating?" Takeru offered. "Would you like some miso soup, Kari?"

"Sure," she said as she handed him the bowl. As he poured the soup into the bowl, Hikari took a quick glance around the table. There was a large, steaming bowl of chicken teriyaki in the middle of the table, surrounded by baked potatoes, rolls of sushi, fried rice and a fresh garden salad. There were also some small bowls of other salads and appetizers. "Wow this looks amazing."

"Yeah, Teeks, you've really outdone yourself this time," Yamato added as he grabbed a bottle of sake. Opening it, he poured the clear liquid into three glasses. "Would you like some, Kari?"

"Wait a second… you made all this?!" Kari gasped, her eyes widening. Sure, she could cook fine, and even Davis could prepare wonderful meals but this table looked like it was done by a professional catering service. "Oh um… sure." She handed her glass to Yamato.

Takeru laughed softly and he put down her bowl. "What, did I forget to mention my secret ability of cooking?" he asked teasingly, his eyes sparkling.

"You most certainly did," Kari stated, her mind still reeling in from the shock.

"One thing that runs in this family is the ability to cook," Mimi added.

"That's not true, dad managed to burn water," Yamato argued.

"Oh god, remember the time you had band practice run so late that dad had to make me dinner?" Takeru asked as both men cringed at the memory of their father attempting to cook. "Scary times." Kari smiled. While her parents could cook food just fine, her mother did try a bunch of experiments which did not agree with the Yagami stomachs.

Everyone started to eat, cheerfully talking about to each other. They shared stories from their pasts, jokes and cute anecdotes. Kari noticed how Takeru had not once complained about any of the stories his mother had shared and even told some stories himself, joining in on the laughter. He constantly offered the old woman food and didn't argue or glare when she criticized him. She remembered last month when she and Davis had dinner with his family. He whined, complained and glared when his parents tried to tell her about the crazy things he used to do as a kid. In the end, they had given up talking at all, as Davis kept shutting them up, and ate in an awkward silence. The stark contrast surprised her.

Soon enough, they had finished dinner and Takeru cleared the plates, growling at Kari when she tried to help, and brought out the dessert and tea. There was a small strawberry shortcake, some pastries and the treats Kari brought. He assorted them on a plate and when he put it down, Kari could swear that her face was the same shade as the walls. He poured green tea into five cups.

"Thanks," she said as she took a sip.

"These cupcakes are really good," Mimi said as she took one of Kari's cupcakes.

"Almost as good as me," Yamato whispered (though loud enough that everybody heard) and planted a tender kiss on Mimi's lips. She giggled as she returned the kiss then stuffed a piece of the cupcake into his mouth before he had a chance to do anything else.

Kari smiled and thanked them quietly. Takeru asked his brother about some songs that he composed and somewhere in the middle of the dessert, Yamato had emerged from a bedroom holding a guitar. Sitting down, he started to play one of his newest songs. The song wasn't finished yet but Kari smiled as the blonde continued to sing. The words went along very well with the soft melody and Kari was almost disappointed when he stopped in the middle.

"It's still in the works," Yamato stated as he put the guitar down. "Speaking of works… how's your work coming along, TK?"

"It's fine," Takeru replied, stuffing a cookie into his mouth.

"What do you do?" Kari asked, only now realizing that she had no idea what he did for a living.

"Oh you don't know?" Yamato asked, his eyebrows rising in surprise. "He's a nov—ow! What the hell was that for!" He glared at the younger blonde as he rubbed his thigh.

"Oh I'm sorry, I thought that was the table leg," Takeru told his brother with an innocent expression plastered on his face before turning to face Kari with a hard smile instead. "I'm a writer." Kari blinked. She knew that he wasn't telling her the whole truth but she nodded nevertheless. _He has his reasons_, Kari told herself.

"Oh. What do you write?"

"Nothing of much importance," Takeru answered. "Just some stuff here and there." She nodded slowly. He was definitely avoiding telling her the specifics, adding more and more to the mystery.

"All that work is taking a toll on your health, Takeru." That came from his mother. She reached over, cupping her son's face in her hands. "Look at those bags under your eyes. When was the last time you've had a full night's worth of sleep? And you've lost a lot of weight," she added as she examined him.

Takeru laughed softly as he put his hands over his mother's and planted a small kiss on each one. "I'm fine, mom, I promise. I'm sleeping enough." Kari couldn't help but smile at the exchange. If it was Davis, Kari thought to herself, he would've immediately pushed his mother's hands away while telling her rather rudely that he decides how to live his life.

Sometime later, Yamato and Mimi said their goodbyes and prepared to leave. Kari watched as Takeru pulled the two of them into a hug before wishing them well and to have a pleasant holiday. After the couple had left, Takeru called a cab for his mother. While he was escorting her down to the car ten minutes later, Kari decided to help clean up.

She took the dirty plates to the sink while the ones that still had food on them, she put into the fridge. She turned on the hot water in the sink and let the sink fill up while she glanced around. While her kitchen was mainly white with gleaming silver appliances, Takeru's kitchen had a bit more of a homey feeling to it. The cabinets were made from a light colored wood and the counter took up one and half walls. On the little half which stopped right at the window, some kitchen appliances were set up accordingly while the other was bare, perfect for when one was preparing food.

She was just about to begin washing the dishes when Takeru stepped back into apartment. "You don't need to do that," he said as he came up behind her. "I have a dishwasher for a reason."

"Oh it's fine," Kari replied as she reached for a plate. She felt his strong hands hold her small wrists, stopping her from what she was doing.

"Seriously, stop." She felt his breath tickle her ear as he spoke softly.

"But I already started."

"Don't worry about it." He unlocked the drain, watching the water slowly escape. When all the water was drained, He opened the dishwasher and began to put the dirty dishes in it. Kari helped him load the dishwasher and soon enough, he turned it on, a low hum filling the room.

"So," Kari started, breaking the slightly awkward silence that fell in the room. "You cook, you write and you know how to host a dinner party. Anything else I need to know about?" She turned to face him. He was leaning back on the small portion of the counter, a grin plastered on his face.

"What else do you want to know?" He asked and she could see his cerulean eyes sparkle in the dim light.

"I don't know… have any other secret talents I should know about?"

"The thing about secret talents… is that they're supposed to be secret," he replied, his grin changing into a coy smirk. "So that when someone finds out about one of them, they'll be surprised." His eyes stared right into hers.

"True…" she said, feeling her throat dry up and her knees weaken. She didn't know how or why, but every time he looked at her, she felt like she was about to melt into a puddle. Thoughts would completely leave her mind and she found it hard to speak. She felt as though he was staring not only at her but at her soul as well. It was a new experience for her; Davis never had that effect on her. She cleared her throat. "This is a nice apartment you have… Very stylish." She tore her eyes away from his, looking anywhere but at him.

"Thank you. Can I offer you anything?" He asked as he opened a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of red wine. He noticed the curious look on her face and added, "I always have a glass before bed."

"Oh…um… sure." He grabbed two glasses and poured in the rich red liquid halfway. He stepped up to her, offering one of the glasses. She took it, taking a small sip of the velvety drink. He smiled.

"Good, right?"

"Yes." She took another sip. "You seem to have a good relationship with your mother."

Takeru smiled, raising his glass to his lips. "It wasn't always like that."

"Oh no?"

He shook his head, closing his eyes halfway, staring down at his glass, though Kari knew he was thinking of past memories. "My mom gained custody of me after my parents divorced. It didn't affect me so much at first, atleast not as much as it did Matt, but as I got older, I saw how much it sucked. I always had this hope that they would get back together, become one family again, you know. I used to blame my mom for breaking us up. Divorce was her idea so making her be the culpable one wasn't hard. I never realized how much it hurt her. I was too blinded by anger. Then, when I was in college, a good friend of mine lost his father in his line of work. It kind of scared me, you know? The way life could be extinguished so quickly. I came to realize that whether I hated her or not, she was still my mother. She was my own flesh and blood and without her I wouldn't even exist today… I just began seeing things in a different light from then on. I realized it wasn't really her fault that my parents divorced. They were constantly fighting and arguing way before the divorce. It was just for the better."

She was silent the entire time he was speaking, watching his usually joyful eyes turn hard and serious as he opened up a part of himself that she knew he didn't usually. But as he finished talking, he looked up at her, smiling a rare and genuine smile, the joy coming back to his eyes.

"So you write…" she said after a moment. Her curiosity was gnawing away at her. "Care to expand on that?"

"What's to expand on?"

"Your brother obviously was going to say something different when you interrupted him."

"He was going to say I'm a novelist."

"And are you?"

"Yes… though it's not something I'm that proud of."

"Why not?"

"The stories I write now aren't the types of things I want to be writing. I mean, right now I'm just writing for the people who read them."

"And you want to write something for yourself?"

He shook his head. "I want to write something that matters." He took another sip. "So... where's the _fiance?_" He asked, and she could swear there was some bitterness in his tone as he said the last word. But as she looked up at him, he was smiling.

"He's um... away..."

"What kind of a guy leaves a girl alone on Christmas Eve?"

"He was supposed to come back this morning... but then the blizzard."

"I see."

She nodded slightly as another silence fell upon them. Though unlike last time, it was very surprisingly comfortable. She realized that he had not moved since he handed her the glass and noticed how close they were standing next to each other. She could feel his breath on her face as he exhaled as she looked up at him. The faint scent of his cologne drifted up her nose. She could practically hear his even heartbeat. Her own heart, on the other hand, had started to beat quickly and she held her breath in her throat, a million thoughts racing through her mind all at once.

What was she doing? She had a wonderful boyfriend to whom she was getting married and yet here she was, with another man, thinking how good he looked in green. She should've been spending the day with Davis, should've been wondering what she was going to be doing tomorrow on Christmas, the day of lovers, should've been thinking how happy Davis would look when he opened his present tomorrow night. Instead, she was wondering how Takeru would look without his shirt off.

She watched silently as his face slowly leaned into hers, their lips coming closer and closer. She felt the hairs at the nape of her neck stand up as her body filled up with adrenaline. She felt her thoughts slowly leaving her, forgetting about everything that existed except for the glinting blue eyes reflected in her soft brown ones.

And then her mind went completely blank as she felt his soft lips crush against hers.

* * *

A/N: Ah, yes, the moment you all were looking forward to, right? I'm just evil for ending there, aren't I? I bet this wasn't a chapter you expecting, ne? I'm actually pretty happy with the way this chapter turned out actually. But that could be because I had some chocolate when I was writing this and we all know chocolate makes the world go 'round. :P Some questions and explanations:

**Uchiha-Kirara:** I think Tai was too shocked to throw a tantrum ;)

**Smart Angel:** Originally I started to write a chapter before this one that would better explain Takeru's take on the whole fiance matter, but then it wasn't turning out the way I wanted for one thing and for another, the story is pretty much told from Kari's point of view, so I figured I should just continue it that way. :P Buuut you'll get to see a little of Takeru's feelings about... well, everything to do with Kari in the next chapter ;)

**cancercute:** oh man, if that last chapter was almost killing you, I can't imagine what this one is doing to you ^-^ and of course he heart Takeru! He's just awesomeness.

So! Will the kiss turn into something more or will Kari snap back to reality? Well I guess that depends! Review!

Heehee.


	6. Chapter 6

**Elevator Rides With The Devil**

**Chapter Six**

The first thing Hikari realized as she jolted out of bed was that she woke up in a strange place. She glanced around the dark pink-red room quickly before finding the half-naked blonde laying next to her, his muscled back facing her. Her eyes widened as she looked down quickly at her own body and let out a breath of relief she didn't know she was holding when she found out that she was fully dressed.

The second thing she realized was that her head was pounding. She closed her eyes tightly as she tried to remember what happened. She remembered drinking last night and though she was never one to hold her liquor, she didn't think she drank all that much either. She rubbed the temples of her head gently, trying to ease the pain when she came across a bump. What the…? Throwing the comforter to the side, she quickly ran to the bathroom and stared at her reflection. There, to the right of her forehead, was a small bump from where she must've hit her head. The explained the pain. Except she didn't remember hitting her head.

_Think Kari, think. What happened last night?_ She mentally scolded herself as she racked her brain for answers. She remembered having dinner with Takeru and family… Takeru escorting his mother out… putting the dishes in the dishwasher… the brief conversation they had about his mother and work… and then the kiss. Why didn't she remember anything after that? She stared at her reflection again, as though trying to find the answers written on her face. _If Miyako were here, she'd say that the kiss was so mind-blowingly awesome that it was the only thing you could think of_, Kari thought to herself, a small smile spreading on her face. It was quickly replaced with a frown. _This is not the time to be thinking such things, _she scolded.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, hoping that any idea, thought, memory—_anything_—would come back to her. But her mind refused to cooperate. She let out a long sigh, turned on the faucet and splashed her face with the warm water a couple of times. She almost shrieked when she heard the soft knock on the door. With stronger force than necessary, she pulled the door open quickly and stared into the blue-eyed deity.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, his tone still laced with sleep.

"What happened?"

"What do you mean?"

She felt the urge to hit him, slap him, grab him by his shirt collar and shake him until answers came pouring out. And she might've just done that if it weren't for the fact that he still wasn't wearing a shirt. "What do you think I mean!" she let out angrily, throwing her arms into the air. "I'm in your apartment. I was in your _bed_! I have a bump on my head! And I can't remember anything!"

"Nothing at all?"

"Nothing after that… that… " _Kiss._ But she couldn't bring herself to say the dreaded word. He seemed to understand though as he offered a nod.

"Well… you passed out."

"Passed out?"

"Yeah…" He scratched the back of his neck lightly. "Completely freaked me out for a moment there… I think you… might've run out of the oxygen." A soft pink hue coated his cheeks and diverted his eyes away from hers. Kari might've noted how adorable it was that this god-like human was blushing away like a little boy had she not been so shocked. Her brain couldn't decide whether to scream or laugh or say something so she kept opening and closing her mouth for a few seconds, somewhat resembling a fish. "Hey, look, it's no big deal…"

"No big deal!" she snapped as she finally regained control of her body again. "Oh god…" she covered her face with her hands and slid down the wall slowly. He watched her for a few seconds, unsure if he should say something or sit down next to her. "And I didn't wake up until now?"

"No, no, you came to a couple of minutes later… After you hit your head on the counter on your way down, I grabbed some peas from the freezer and put them to your head so you wouldn't swell—so much for that huh?—and I guess the cold did the trick. You were still a little wobbly and kept insisting that you needed to go home—"

"So why didn't you take me?" she cut him off, doe eyes staring at him.

"I was worried…" He offered a small smile. "I wasn't sure if you were really okay… so I just put you on the bed so you could get some rest… You started to talk though… and before I knew it, you just feel asleep… and… yeah that's pretty much the whole story. No big deal, right?"

She laughed at the irony. Of course it was no big deal for _him_. After all, _he _wasn't the one with a fiancé, _he _wasn't getting married at the end of the month, _his _stomach wasn't twisting around and making him sick… why would it be a big deal for him? "What did I say?"

"Huh?"

"You said I started talking… what did I say?"

"Oh, well… lots of things. You talked a lot about Tai… and some childhood memories… like the little picture book you had to create in first grade about what you thought you'd be like twenty years from then… you said you were going to be the world's most famous photographer and you'd open up a small gallery someday and you'd have events and parties there every month… you described your perfect wedding and your perfect family that you'd have one day… and there was something about Miko… I'm not sure who that was…"

"He was my cat."

"Oh… that makes a lot more sense now. Thanks for clearing that up."

Kari felt sick. Not only had she kissed a man who was not her fiancé to the point that she ran out of oxygen, but she had also revealed some childhood memories that only parents share when you get a new boyfriend. She wanted to go back to yesterday, before she ever went up to this apartment and knock some sense into herself. Didn't she know how troublesome this whole situation would turn out to be? She must've had _some_ idea.

Slowly, she got back up again and headed for the door. Takeru held her arm gently. "Are you… okay?" he asked as she quietly put her shoes on.

"No… no I'm not… I made a big, big mistake coming here last night… I'm sorry about that. It was a bad idea. I knew that before entering." She let out a soft sigh before exiting the apartment. Takeru watched her retreating figure silently for a moment.

"Do you really think you'll be happy with him?"

She stopped walking and turned around to face him. "Excuse me?"

"I think you're making a big mistake."

She narrowed her eyes. "Just who do you think you are?" she replied icily. "My life has absolutely nothing to do with you. And you know what? Yes, I will be happy with him. We're going to be the happiest couple to ever exist!" She hadn't meant to sound so cold but seeing him there in the doorway with a sarcastic smirk on his face just snapped her last nerve.

"Is that why you kissed me?"

"You kissed me you jerk!"

"And you could've pushed me away. But you didn't. You kissed me right back."

She could feel the anger boiling in her veins. She wanted to throw something at him and wipe that smirk off his face. And had there been anything around her at the moment, she might've done just that. Instead she turned on her heel and walked to the stairs, pushing the door harder than needed. _How dare he!_

Walking the three floors to her apartment seemed to go on forever and with each step, the guilt increased tenfold. Her mind raced back to the kiss. Why had she done that? She knew it was wrong. She knew it was a bad idea, yet she still let herself be drawn in. _Oh god I'm horrible… how could I let that happen? How could I hurt Davis like that?_ She thought to herself. _And he knew better! He knew I was getting married! That was an intense kiss though… damn it! No! no no no no no! It was nothing! _ She bit down on her lip as tears sprung to her eyes. Whether they were from anger or guilt, she couldn't tell.

* * *

Davis was laying back on the couch when she walked in, a bowl of cereal in one hand, the remote in the other. "Hey! Where were you? I was starting to get lonely here," he teased but when he saw her face, the smile fell from his face and he immediately got up, walking over to her. "Kari? What's wrong?"

Seeing the concern in his amber eyes only made her feel worse. She shook her head. "It's nothing…" She choked out. "It's just… the wedding… it's so soon…" She mentally cringed, she was never a good liar. Davis looked at her, and for a split second she thought he saw through her act too.

"Is that all? God Kari, I thought someone hurt you or something," he replied, pulling her into a hug. _No, just pulled into a breath taking kiss. Literally,_ she added in her mind. "Don't worry about the wedding. Most everything is ready. The caterers have the menus, the photographers are booked, the restaurant is perfect…" He grinned. "We've got it all figured out. All we need is for you to be there."

She smiled faintly. "You're right… it's just… it's been stressful, you know?"

"I know, Kari, I know. Who ever thought that there would be so much to do, right?" She nodded and planted a small kiss on his cheek. "Why don't you get some rest? It'll be good for your nerves."

"Okay, yeah, that sounds nice."

He smiled. "Want me to make you something to eat?"

"No thanks, I'm not very hungry," Kari replied as she walked over to the bedroom. Closing the door, she sat down on the bed. Wiping the tears from her eyes, Kari stood up and walked over to the mirror. "Enough is enough, Hikari," she told her reflection sternly. "You are getting married in a month. You are marrying a great guy. And you will be happy. No matter what it takes, you'll find bliss that you've never known before and you will live in that bliss for the rest of your life."

Looking back on the bed, she knew she wasn't going to get any sleep so she grabbed her books and worked on making lesson plans for her class.

* * *

Kari couldn't sleep that night. Every time she closed her eyes, a certain blue-eyed neighbor kept tainting her dreams, replaying the last conversation they had over and over and over. Sighing, she rolled over on her side and stared at the clock, the neon red numbers reading 4:57 back at her. _Great. I managed to get a grand total of forty minutes of sleep_, Kari thought to herself. Knowing she wasn't going to get anymore sleep, she carefully got up so as not to wake Davis who was lightly snoring on the other side of the bed. She made her way to the bathroom, where she changed into a thick pair of sweats, a long sleeved v-neck shirt and a hoodie. Afterwards, she tied her hair up in a ponytail, filled a water bottle and grabbed her keys.

She jogged all the way down to the beach, where she paused for a short moment to regain her breath. It was still early and she felt like she was walking around in a deserted town. The shops were all closed, everyone was still asleep in their houses and it was so silent that she could hear her own heart beat in her ribcage. It felt good to job again. She used to do it all the time when she was in college but now she barely had time.

After about an hour of jogging, Kari still didn't feel like going home yet. It was still early, Davis wouldn't be up for another hour and she had nothing to do in the meantime. Instead, she made her way down to the park. She sat down on the swings, swaying softly. Closing her eyes, she breathed in the chilly air quietly when she heard the unmistakable sound of a ball being dribbled. Curious, she got up and walked over the court. It was still early and she wanted to know who was playing basketball at this time.

She watched as the ball flew smoothly from the pair of hands straight to the basket, making a soft _swoosh_ sound as it went through the net. _Oh god, of course it's him_, she thought in horror as she realized that the person was no other than Takeru. She tried to walk away before he saw her but her movement caught his eye and he turned toward her.

"Good morning," he called out, bouncing the ball in one hand.

Sighing in aggravation at her foiled plan, she turned back around. "Morning…" she replied softly. He didn't say anything else for a while, his eyes focused on the orange ball in his hands and the basket for which he was aiming at. Kari watched him quietly, not sure what to say. The silence felt awkward and she thought it would be too weird if she just walked away now, especially after he knew she was there and all. She took a breath before she said the first thing that came to her mind, "Sorry."

"For what?" he asked as the ball passed through the net again.

"Yesterday. For the way I treated you."

"So you're not sorry for kissing me?"

"I said I was sorry for the way I treated you, nothing more."

"Alright, whatever you say." She sat down on the ground as she watched him play against imaginary opponents. The more she watched him, the more aware she was of how graceful he looked. It was as though he was doing a complicated dance routine. She knew next to nothing about basketball but his posture and the way he positioned his hands on the ball looked a lot more refined than those guys Davis watched on tv. Even the way he lightly jumped before making a shot was captivating. It made it seem like he was as light as a feather. "Do you want to play?" he asked suddenly.

"Huh?"

"Do you want to play?" he repeated, spinning the basketball around on his index finger.

"No, I'm okay. I don't know how to play anyway."

"I can teach you."

"Look, I don't like holding grudges and I don't like being mean to people, but that doesn't mean that I'm not mad about kissing you last night," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Forget last night. I get it, okay? It was a _big mistake_, as you put it. This is just a friendly game." Kari stared at him. She was starting to get cold and some exercise wouldn't hurt her. On the other hand, she still felt like she shouldn't be around him. But the way he looked at her, she couldn't help but accept his invitation.

"Fine. But it's going to be a bad game," she said as she got up and walked into the court.

"Don't worry about it." He tossed her the ball and she awkwardly caught it, unsure of what to do with it. Her confused expression made him laugh. "Look, there's nothing to it really. The point is to get the ball into the hoop as many times as you can. Try to make a shot." Kari aimed the ball at the basket and tried to shoot it in like the way she saw him do a dozen times before. She winced as she saw the ball completely miss the basket, which only added to Takeru's laughter.

"Hey! You can't laugh. I told you I sucked at this."

"You weren't kidding," he said with a smile. Fetching the ball, he tossed it over to her again. "Okay, first of all, you're holding the ball wrong…" He came up behind her, fixing the position of her hands on the ball. She could feel his warmth as he stood behind her and his breath on her ear as he explained what to do. He held his hands over hers on the ball as he raised her arms slightly. "Now, you want to bend your knees a little, and when you're ready to shoot, you do a small jump and toss the ball…" She bent her knees slightly, tossed the ball with him and watched as the ball sailed through the net. "Good! See? Now try it on your own. "

He stepped away to get the ball again, tossing it over to her. Kari bit her lip. It was so much easier when he was standing behind her. But nevertheless, she tried to remember everything he told her and tossed the ball again. It missed the basket, but not as much as her first attempt. "You make it look too easy," she whined, pouting her lips slightly.

"It is easy," he replied with a small chuckle. "Just takes some practice." They repeated the process several times, then he showed her some other tricks and strategies, offering her tips every now and then. After a while, Kari finally called quits. She felt tired and everything he told her was starting to blend in.

"Wow, I still didn't manage to get one single basket in," she breathed as she took a big gulp of water from her bottle. "I'd need years of practice."

"Nah, a few days, tops," he replied, holding the ball under his arm. "Maybe a couple of months before you get near my level, though."

"Ha! Months! You must've been doing this for years!"

"Well, yeah. I was on the basketball team in high school and college. Now I'm only able to play in the mornings. It's good way to get rid of stress and energize yourself." He walked over to his bag and extracted a small towel from it. "Need it?"

"No thanks, I'm not that bad," she stated. He was practically soaked in sweat and his golden hair was plastered to his face, some falling into his eyes. He wiped his face with the towel. "So you do this every morning?"

"I try, but it doesn't always work out that way. Sometimes I play with my friends in the evenings." He shrugged. "Just depends on how I feel, I guess." She nodded slightly. "Going home yet?" he asked as he slung his bag over his shoulder.

"Yeah, I should be getting back. Lots of things to do, people to call."

"Haha, you must lead a very busy life."

"Well you know how it is with weddings. Endless things to do." Though her tone was light, he could detect the seriousness underneath it. He didn't reply, rather put his hands in his pockets and walked to the building. When he got up to the entrance, he held the door open for her and followed her to the elevator.

"So, for all intents and purposes, last night didn't happen?" he asked, azure eyes meeting her brown ones.

She looked back at him for a while before answering, "Yes, that's right." He nodded once, finally breaking their eye contact as he leaned back against the wall.

"It's a shame."

"Really? I don't think so. It was just an impulse. Nothing more."

"I don't think that's all it was." He took the two steps toward her, trapping her in the corner of the car. He put one hand on her lower back while cupping the side of her face with the other. "Want to know why?" His face was centimeters away from her own and she could feel his breath on her lips. "Because I could sense your desire."

She closed her eyes to block him out of view but it didn't do much to help. She still felt his hand softly caressing her cheek. Despite the fact that he smelled like sweat, she could still detect the faint scent of his soap. She knew he was still watching her and she felt her heart starting to pound in her chest. She realized that she was scared.

One part of her reminded her that she belonged to another man, while another—and a rather large part—was wondering if he was right. Did she really desire him? Yes, he was handsome and charming and an _amazing_ kisser, but that couldn't all that equate to lust? But what if it wasn't?

She heard the ding of the elevator, probably stopping at her floor but she felt like it was miles away. Seeing her practically whimper, Takeru dropped his hands, stepping away from her. "You're wrong," she answered at last, hoping her voice sounded tougher than she felt right now. Opening her eyes, she quickly scrambled out of the elevator before her body could betray her.

His words rang clearly through her head just before the door closed: "I'm not giving up on you yet, Kari." She felt a chill run down her spine and was surprised to learn that her hands were shaking. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down before walking up to her door.

* * *

"You really think it's just nerves?" Kari heard Davis ask from the kitchen, just before she opened the door. "It just seems like so much more than that, you know?"

"I think you're making a big deal out of nothing, Davis," came Miyako's answer.

"Maybe… but you should have seen her face… it didn't seem like she was worried… she looked downright sad."

"Oh relax, she's going to be a whole range of emotions during these last few weeks. Marriage is a big deal and she's treating it as such."

Kari made no sound as she stood by the door, her hand frozen on the keys in the lock, as she tried to listen to their conversation. They were obviously talking about the way she came in yesterday morning and Kari silently prayed that Miyako would convince Davis that it really was nerves. _God, he'd be devastated if he knew the real reason_. When the conversation seemed to end, she finally opened the door and stepped inside, a smile plastered on her face.

"Good morning!" she greeted cheerily. Davis was making an omelet and he looked up when she came over.

"Hey," he answered. "Where were you this morning?"

"Went for a jog," she replied, putting down her half empty water bottle.

"Oh." He smiled. "Did it help?"

"I did. God that smells amazing."

"It'll be done in a minute," he replied, grabbing some plates.

Kari felt Miyako staring at her back, probably trying to read her, and she refused to meet her eyes. She knew Miyako would see through her instantly and she would wait until Davis was away before facing her friend. "I'm gonna go wash up a bit," she said, walking over the bathroom. She washed her hands quickly and rinsed her face a couple of times, not even wanting to know what she looked like at the moment. When she came back, Davis had already put down plates of omelet for the three of them and was nearly halfway finished with his portion. "Are you gonna be late tonight?"

"I hope not," Davis answered with a sigh. "But I'll call you if I am." Kari nodded, taking her place at the table. Davis finished the rest of his food a short moment later, dropped his plate in the sink and kissed Kari's cheek. "I'll be back before you know it," he added with a smile.

"Have a good day, love," Kari answered as she watched him walk out.

"So," Miyako started the moment she heard the lock, "Want to tell me what that was about?" Kari ignored the question, pretending to be fascinated in the contents of her plate.

"I don't know," Kari replied with a sigh.

"You don't honestly think I'm going to buy that, do you?"

Kari shook her head and finally looked up. "No, you won't."

"So tell me what's wrong."

Kari leaned her head on her hand. Miyako's gaze was more intense than she could handle and she lowered her eyes to the table before she was able to respond. "Miya… I think I'm making a big mistake."

* * *

A/N: I'm baaaaaack! First of all, I'd like to say how sorry I am for not updating this sooner! (Wow nearly a year has passed!) There were just so many things with school and family and work and everything else that I felt like I was so overwhelmed… But I did make this a longer chapter to make up for the long absence! At first I was going to split this up into two chapters but then decided against it. Among everything else, I also had a huge writer's block, so that's why this chapter may seem than the others. Sorry about that. This was like the fourth or so version that I wrote and I have to say that it's better than the previous ones (atleast, in my opinion). Anyway! Please review! (And I promise the next chapter won't take me this long to write!)


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